An Arcadian Werewolf In Egypt
by DeBrabant
Summary: SEQUEL TO: Third Prophecy / Joxer and Gabrielle head to Egypt at Cleopatra's invitation to have their wedding there...


An Arcadian Werewolf in Egypt  
By Danii  
Summary: Seven months after the events in "Third Prophecy", Xena and newly engaged couple meet up with Hercules and Iolaus. Shortly after, while Joxer and Gabrielle begin to plan a wedding, the couple find out that they have been invited to Egypt, where Cleopatra intends to host the ceremony to thank Xena and Gabrielle, not to mention Joxer, for saving her life. But trouble, and a stowaway or two, is with them as they travel to the land of the Nile, and they may have to save the Egyptian queen, and a brother or two, once again.  
Disclaimer: I own no one. I get no profit from this. Just odd stares and headaches.  
Distribution: You actually want this? Sure, you can have it...just tell me where it is, and put my name on it...  
Relationship: G/J, A/Cl  
Rating: PG-PG13  
Note: Hi! This is my second story in the Herc/Xenaverse, and it is a sequel to "Third Prophecy". Now, as I stated before, I will probably make mistakes with characters, and seasons, and accuracy. Please, either ignore it or correct me politely. I don't mean to insult anyone from the start, but someone from another list corrected me rather rudely once, and it really put a crimp in my writing for a while (despite the fact that they turned out to be wrong anyway...). So feel free to tell me how wrong I am.   
Note2: This is dedicated to my muse, Xander Harris, and all the people who sent me feedback on "Third Prophecy"...it was a really nice welcome into a new fandom.  
  
And now:  
  
  
Gabrielle was absolutely beat.  
  
Every muscle in her body ached and burned within her skin, and her mind was in a total slump. The day had been filled with fighting, tension, and other rather unpleasant things, and at this point, all the blonde bard wanted was to reach the bed which was just three feet away from her.  
  
However, her body had other ideas. It had no intention of moving another step, and at this point, she was in no position to argue with it. She didn't really want to argue with it, for it had served her well today. But she did realize that there was a problem when her muscles decided that standing was too hard of a job to do as well.  
  
The bard felt her legs go out from beneath her, and then she experienced a falling sensation that she absolutely hated. But before she could hit the floor, Gabrielle felt two familiar hands grab her gently around the waist, stopping her descent to the floor. Carefully, as if she was a delicate vase, the strong, tender hands picked her up and transported her safely to the comfy-looking bed. Then they lay her down, and the blonde got to see the face she had known for years and finally had admitted to loving.  
  
Joxer, his eyes the dark brown she loved to drown herself in, stared down at her, a quirky little smile on his oddly handsome face as he placed her on the blanket. Gabrielle looked up into that face, and felt a smile grace her lips to answer his. Gods, how she loved him. How she yearned to be with him. How she loved to see that grin, or hear his voice, or feel his touch against her. And to think that she'd thought him no more than a bother (at least, that's what she'd thought she'd thought) till a few months ago.  
  
Gabrielle's mind immediately brought her back to that point in time, one of the many that had changed the course of her life. Joxer had become something truly unique that day through a twist of Fate and the Gods, a creature part man and part wolf. That day, his heart was tested, and he'd passed with flying colors. Not only had he shown that he was ruled by his heart, but he'd allowed her to see just how much he loved her specifically, which had brought the realization that she loved him as well. And things had just gone great from there.  
  
Yes, he had changed, Gabrielle admitted. He was no longer the clumsy man she had known. But the important things, the things she loved about him, hadn't changed, and the changes that were made were for the better.  
  
Being part wolf, he had gotten enhanced senses, and Joxer had acquired a grace and speed he'd never had before, both of which prompting him to ask for training in the martial arts from Xena. At first she had been a bit skeptical, but he had shown himself early on to be a good pupil, one who listened instead of trying to show up his teacher, and his animal abilities had made him a fine fighter in the months that had gone by.  
  
And yet, Xena's greatest apprehension hadn't come true. Due to all Joxer's boasting and singing of 'Joxer the Mighty', the warrior princess had always sort of feared what would happen should the young man ever actually become a true warrior. But he had laid her fears to rest early, showing a rather mature calm now that he had great prowess. No longer afraid of not being good enough, he didn't feel the need to flaunt it or use it for stupid reasons, two things Xena admitted it had taken years for herself to learn. Now that he could actually defend himself, he was now free to be the gentle, kind-hearted, rather humble young man that he really was.   
  
But through it all, he remained Joxer. He was still forgot things, and while he never wore his 'armor' again, he still kept that silly hat as a momento. He would still get her flowers every morning, and he would still cook her breakfast. Joxer continued to become embarrassed over the silliest things, and he still goofed up many a time. But Gabrielle had to admit that she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved him exactly as he was.  
  
So, pulling all the strength she had left, the blonde pushed herself up and kissed her beloved on the lips. Joxer, surprised but happily so, kissed her back with equal passion, but quickly cut it off as he lowered her head down to the mattress. He pulled back a moment later though, much to her sleepy annoyance.   
  
"You're tired, Gabby..." he said softly, the slight growl in his voice telling her that he wished she wasn't, "Go to sleep...Xena's already hit the pillows, and you ought to join her..."  
  
"So, you don't want me anymore?" Gabrielle asked with a catty smile, "Think I should hook up with the warrior princess instead of my favorite wolf?"  
  
He grinned slightly, then quickly kissed her again. "You know what I meant, Gabby. Go to sleep. Here, beside me..."  
  
The bard gave another grin, and he began to take off some of her clothes carefully with not a hint of sexuality. Just caring. And then she watched as he took off the majority of his clothes and rolled next to her on the mattress. Joxer extinguished the flame that had lit the room, then moved his body so that it was next to hers.  
  
"Goodnight, Gabby...I love you." He said quietly in the darkness, "Get some rest. You need it..."  
  
"Goodnight, Joxer...I love you too..." she replied, grinning in the dark, "We both need some rest. We begin planning the wedding tomorrow, if you don't remember..."  
  
"Oh, I remember." Joxer answered with an amused growl, "And I can't wait."  
  
Then Gabrielle smiled, and fell asleep, but Joxer remained awake. Slowly and carefully, so as not to wake her up, the young man turned to look at his love lying in the bed next to him.  
  
Gods, she was beautiful, he observed as he watched her tired form on the bed. The golden hair tumbling before her eyes in sleep, the petite frame rising and falling with each deep, even breath, the sweet features of her face, which were now calm and still. By Hades, he loved her. Every part of him, down to the bottom of his soul, longed for her and the love that she had for him. Joxer, both his human side and his wolf, would willingly die for her. Looking at her in the gentle light of the crescent moon, he wished he could howl his joy for all to hear. But he didn't wish to wake her up.  
  
So, instead of that, he caressed her face once with his hand, turned around, and went to sleep beside her.  
  
**  
  
"And, now that we have celebrated our two womanly heroes, I shall sing a fine round to their companion, and our last hero of the day, Joxer!"  
  
Wine went flying from the mouth of two men in the back of the tavern at this announcement, while the others there held up their drinks in salute and cried for more. The two men in the back, who were strangers to all there, watched all this with amazement.  
  
"Joxer?!" the taller one asked, his long blonde-brown hair flying in his face as he jumped in shock. The blue eyes the stranger possessed widened as well in disbelief.  
  
"Of course!" answered the townsman next to him, a vineyard worker named Durkas, "He, his fiance, and Xena herself saved our village this morning from the warlord who was trying to take all of our wine-barrels."  
  
"But, Joxer?" the other stranger asked, this one rather short, "Don't you mean that he tripped over some of your wine-barrels?"  
  
"No." Durkas replied, his tone telling the two that he was clearly perplexed, "Why would he do that? He is a fine warrior, and he indeed saved our village today. In fact, it was he who faced down the warlord himself, forcing him to surrender..."  
  
"Surrender? To Joxer?" the first asked slowly, as if trying absorb the knowledge only to have it rejected.  
  
"Yes!" the man cried, getting upset at this point. What was up with these travelers? Do they think I'm some kind of idiot peasant? "Of course he surrendered! Joxer the Steel Claws, beat him in battle!"  
  
"The what?" the shorter one asked.  
  
"Steel Claws!" Durkas answered, "Surely, you've heard of him. He's been traveling with Xena for the last few months. They say that he isn't truly human, you know..."  
  
"No." the tall one said, rather deliberately, "I didn't."  
  
"Yes, part wolf and part man..." the vineyard worker told them, "Completely unique in the world of Gods and Men, with no other like him. Supposedly, he was affected by the curse of King Lycaon or some such, or that's what they say. Leaders all over seek to meet him..."  
  
The two didn't answer.  
  
The worker smiled, thinking of all the times nobles and other supposed 'superiors' to him were less knowledgeable about common everyday things. To think, these travelers didn't know of Xena's traveling companion, especially considering the great interest of most people about him. He wondered if the stranger knew about the Wolf and the Bard's engagement. Well, Durkas intended to tell them.  
  
"And you're also aware that that bard, Gabrielle, is betrothed to him, aren't you?" Durkas asked with a grin. The short stranger's eyes widened in shock and just a bit of dismay entered his tone when he asked about it.  
  
"Truly?" He questioned, "Gabrielle is going to marry Joxer?"  
  
"Of course..." Durkas replied rather grumpily. It was fun to bother these strangers, but their immense stupidity was bothering him, "And if you don't believe me, go up to the inn rooms and ask them yourself!"  
  
And with that, the vineyard worker huffed off with his drink, leaving a rather nonplused and curious pair sitting at a table.  
  
"Well, Iolaus, do you think what that man was saying was true?" The tall stranger asked, sipping his wine while he thought.  
  
"I don't' know, Herc..." the shorter man answered with a shrug, "I mean...Joxer?"  
  
"People can change, Iolaus...and they change especially fast when the Gods are involved...I just hope that he hasn't changed for the worse."  
  
"I doubt," the other replied with a bit of hurt in his tone, "that Gabrielle would consent to marry him if he wasn't...good."  
  
The larger man smiled comfortingly, then put his hand on the other's arm in a reassuring gesture.  
  
"Do you want to go up and check on them? Make sure that Joxer isn't some...monster?"  
  
The short man's eyes shone in the low light, and he put his arm on the others in thanks.   
  
"Yeah, Herc. Thanks..."  
  
And the two got up, and headed up the stairs. . They went quietly, so as not to disturb anyone, then stopped as they reached the first door. Hercules knew that when traveling, Xena always took the first door, her superiority in detecting trouble and deflecting it prompting her to take the room where a bandit or an attack would try first. With Iolaus at his side, fidgeting a bit in the slightly stale air, the demigod was a little nervous, despite the fact that his old friend would probably welcome him. Should he knock, or should he just open the door? He didn't really feel like knocking, though, so Hercules began to slowly open the door.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a tall figure pressed the demigod into the wall across the way . Hercules was unable to see the face of the assailant. He was far too busy getting concerned over the three rather sharp blades that were currently pressing against his throat. However, since they didn't push in, the demigod took this opportunity to see who it was holding him so.  
  
A peculiarly familiar face it was, yet so different from the one he knew. The eyes he remembered as being a dark brown were now a feral amber, and the mouth he knew to usually be twisted into a goofy grin was now sporting fangs and was shaped into an angry snarl, from which Hercules could hear a nasty growling. Could this be-  
  
"Joxer!" came a familiar female voice from within the room, "Joxer, calm down!"  
  
Hercules watched as the snarl was opened into a look of confusion, while the eyes drained of their yellow coloring once again became the brown he knew, blinking a few seconds after. Then the eyes seemed to take in exactly who was in front of them, and the blades were pulled back. A few seconds later, the tall blonde man could once again breath normally, and the once-menacing figure stood beside him, an expression of embarrassment and guilt written on his face.  
  
"Oh, Hercules!" Joxer cried, his voice the one the demigod knew except for the addition of a slight growling tone, "I'm so sorry! I...The wolf...You..."  
  
"It's all right, Joxer..." the hero replied, rubbing his neck with one hand, "I'm okay, and I shouldn't have tried to walk in on you. I should have knocked. It's just that I thought that Xena would be in the first room, and-"  
  
"I would be..." came a new voice in the hallway, "But I'm no longer the best at detecting trouble. So, Joxer takes the first room now...though why you would just walk into it for that reason, I wouldn't know..."  
  
All assembled turn to face Xena, who was standing with a rather odd grin on her face. Hercules looked a bit abashed, but he quickly said, "Hello, Xena..."  
  
"Hi, Herc..." the warrior princess said with a smirk, "See you've already greeted everyone else, eh Joxer?"  
  
The once-rageful man stared down at his toes, obviously embarrassed. "Yeah..." he muttered.  
  
"And you, Gabrielle? Did you say hello to our nice, POLITE friends, Hercules and Iolaus?"  
  
"Hello..." the bard replied in a rather grumpy tone, while the two men she was addressing followed Joxer in staring at the floor, "What brings you to our room, after sunset, while we're trying to sleep off a hard day?"  
  
"We were..." Iolaus finally said, starting strong but unsure of what else to say, "Just coming up to confirm some rumors we heard down in the tavern..."  
  
"Well," Gabrielle replied crankily as she put her arms around Joxer, "Have you confirmed them? Cause I'd like to go to sleep sometime before Winter Solstice..."  
  
"I guess so" Hercules answered nervously, "I mean, with that whole 'hold me to the wall at knife point' thing..."  
  
"Oh," Xena asked, her voice sounding far too pleasant for her words to actually be pleasant, "So you've heard about Joxer, then?"  
  
The tall dark-haired man brought his head back up in a flash, his face filled with confusion, "You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Well, we wanted to see all of you, actually." Iolaus told them with bright eyes. Then his tone went a bit more somber. "Is it true that you and Gabrielle are engaged?"  
  
"Yes, we are!" Joxer exclaimed with puppy-like joy, forgetting his embarrassment, "We're going to start planning the wedding tomorrow, in fact..."  
  
"Really..." Iolaus said, obviously trying not to sound disappointed, but not succeeding. But the anxious Joxer ignored his tone.  
  
"Hey, Herc!" he said, "Would you and Iolaus like to come? We're going to make this something special!"  
  
"I'm sure you will..." Hercules said calmly. Then he looked at Iolaus, "Do you want to go?"  
  
"Yeah, I'd love to." The shorter man replied, "Sounds like fun."  
  
"Great..." the half-wolf answered with a wide grin. Then his face went somber. "But for now, Gabby needs her rest, and so do I. Not to mention Xena. So can we go to sleep?"  
  
"Sure, Joxer...from what I hear you earned it. Have a good-"  
  
He was interrupted by a call from the tavern below, which was strangely accented..."URGENT MESSAGE FOR XENA, THE BARD GABRIELLE, AND THE ONE CALLED JOXER STEEL CLAWS! FROM THE QUEEN CLEOPATRA!"  
  
Every pair of eyes turned to the stairs, except for those of Gabrielle, who exclaimed with irritation deep in her sleepy tone, "You've got to be kidding..."  
  
Xena gave a roll of the eyes to her friend, and then looked to Joxer, who was busy nuzzling the bard's neck in an attempt to cool her down so she could sleep. The half-wolf quickly pulled back in embarrassment. "Sorry, Xena. Yeah, we'd better go..."  
  
"Just come back soon!" the blonde told her fiancé, "I can't sleep right without my favorite wolf next to me...you know that."  
  
"I know..." he answered with a blush, then gave her a fast kiss and ran down the stairs. Xena, with a glance at Hercules and Iolaus, followed, and soon the four of them were standing in the middle of a very interested room with a young courier that was obviously not from around the area.  
  
"You have a message for us?" Xena asked as soon as she got there, "From the Queen of Egypt?"  
  
"Yes, Ma'am..." the messenger said, "But the message is for the bard Gabrielle, and her fiancé Joxer as well..."  
  
"Well, this is Joxer," the warrior princess told him, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder, "And Gabrielle is asleep right now, so I'd be very happy if you just delivered the message and let us go to sleep as well..."  
  
The messenger sighed tiredly, and then looked at Hercules and Iolaus. "The message said nothing about you..."  
  
"Well," Joxer said with a small smirk on his face, "The tall one happens to be Hercules, and the other is his companion, Iolaus, both of which are our friends."  
  
When the messenger's eyes widened at the half-wolf's statement, Joxer added, "And I don't really think you'll mind them, will you?"  
  
"No, sir..." the messenger said quickly as he pulled out a scroll from one of his bags, "Here it is, sir..."  
  
And the messenger handed the scroll to Joxer, which he quickly opened. Luckily, Gabrielle had been helping him with his reading skills since they'd gotten together, so he was able to easily read the scroll aloud to the others.  
  
"Dearest Friends,  
"It has come to my attention that the bard, Gabrielle, and the warrior, now know as Joxer Steel Claws, are currently engaged. When I heard this, it brought me great joy, for though I only was able to see the two of them together for a short time, I realized the great caring the young man had for the girl, and I prayed to the great gods of Egypt many a night for them, as well as for their companion, Xena, that she may find happiness with another as well. However, back to the point. When I became aware of the aforementioned fact, I decided something. I owe the three of you a great debt, that of my life, and the least I could do to repay the three of you is to invite you all to Egypt, where I will happily host the wedding of Gabrielle and Joxer. I have secured a ship for you three, and any guests you may wish to bring for the ceremony, which will be waiting for you in the nearby seaport.   
  
"On a more personal note, I would like to congratulate you, Joxer, on your recent achievements. From what I hear, you are now an even more unique person than the one I knew while I was in Marimus. I hope to see you soon, and see how much you have changed. Also, I must thank you for helping to save my life. You distracted the assassin to give the others enough time to do what had to be done. I am happy to host the wedding for you...  
  
"Xena, I can never thank you enough for saving my life, for you truly prevented that assassin from killing me like no other. Though I know the wedding is not for you, I thought that you would enjoy it, not to mention the tour of Egypt I have in store for you.   
  
"Gabrielle, I must thank you as well, for you also helped save my life, just as much as Xena did, if not as actively. Your plan, while being rather complicated and full of a few holes, did in fact discover the traitor in my group, and for that I must thank you. It brings me joy to know that you have finally found your mate in life, and I cannot wait to see you.  
  
"I wish all three of you the best of travel. I await your arrival with much joy, and I hope that the arrangements I have in store will be enough for you. And if I forgot to mention this earlier, please bring any and all people you wish to attend the wedding.   
  
"Till then,  
"Queen Cleopatra of Egypt"  
  
There was silence in the room as the group of four digested what they had just heard, the only sound coming from Joxer as he rolled up the parchment and put it back in its holder.  
  
"Well." Was the only thing Xena could think to say.  
  
"Yeah." Responded Hercules, "Sounds pretty wonderful. I mean, a trip to Egypt, and a wedding service...wow..."  
  
"Neat..." Iolaus added, "Egypt's nice."  
  
"Well, that was unexpected..." Joxer put in.   
  
There was another pause, and then Xena asked Joxer, "What do you think Gabrielle will think?"  
  
"I think she'll love it..." the half-wolf replied with a sigh, "I mean, she's been hoping you'd take up Cleopatra's offer to visit Egypt for a while, and the idea of having a wedding in one of those giant, beautiful, alabaster temples will just make her so happy..."  
  
"Then what's the problem?" Iolaus asked, genuinely curious, "Sounds great."  
  
"Yeah, it is..." Joxer said tiredly, "Except for one BIG thing..."  
  
"And what is that, Joxer?" Hercules asked, his face telling the young man that he was genuinely concerned about what was troubling him.  
  
"Well, I promised both my brother, Jace, and my other brother, Jett, that they could come to the wedding..."  
  
"And?" Iolaus prodded. The shorter man didn't see a problem with more family coming, since Cleopatra's letter had said quiet clearly that they should bring friends. In fact, the only problem he could foresee was more than one of anybody that acted anything like Joxer...or at least, how he used to act.  
  
The half-man sighed deeply, and then took in a deep breath, as if to steady himself. Finally, he said, "And the assassin we saved Cleopatra from happened to be Jett..."   
  
There was yet another pause, and then Iolaus asked, "So, what exactly is the problem?"  
  
Joxer and Xena gave him an incredulous look, while Hercules just waited for his best friend to explain. It was either going to be amazingly intelligent, or completely stupid. The demi-god figured either way wouldn't hurt; even if the idea was idiotic, it would provide a nice laugh.  
  
"Well," the short blonde man said slowly, "I'm assuming that Jett is in prison, correct?"  
  
"Yeah..."   
  
"Well, then you use that letter to get him out!" Iolaus cried, rolling his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Since he tried to kill Cleopatra, her word should be able to get him out, and that letter does say bring any and all friends/family you want. Which includes you brother!"  
  
The three stood silent for a moment, taking in the idea piece by piece. Finally, Joxer nodded, and asked, "But how do we deal with the whole Jett-at-the-wedding-near-Cleopatra thing? I don't think she'll want to be with someone who tried to kill her..."  
  
"We could assure her with a geas..." Xena put in thoughtfully, "But we'd need a god to do that..."  
  
"A geas?" Joxer asked, a perplexed expression on his face. It made Xena smile. When he did that, he looked like ever so much like a confused little puppy.   
  
"Yes" she answered patiently, "A geas. It is a sort of binding of the will. It can be used for a variety of purposes, and if one of the gods would help us, it would make sure that Jett couldn't do anything to harm Cleopatra. Surely the magic of a god will assure her?"  
  
"That would work..." Hercules agreed, "And I know just the goddess to do it. All you have to do is threaten not to invite her to the wedding..."  
  
"No you don't!" came a familiar female voice from what looked like thin air, "I'd do it for my little Joxie-wolf for just asking! No fair, bro!"  
  
Hercules smiled as the goddess of Love appeared to the little group. She wore her normal pink lingerie, and her hair was perfect, but her usually smiling lips were tight and thin as she stared at the demi-god.  
  
"That was way harsh, Herc!" she cried, "You don't have to blackmail me to get me to help people! If it helps the wedding plans, I'll be happy to put the assassin under my powers..." The goddess paused, and then asked, "And I am invited to the wedding, right?"  
  
"Of course!" Joxer assured her, giving her a wolfish grin, "Wouldn't dream of leaving you out of it, 'Dite. It will be an honor to have the goddess of Love at Gabby's and my wedding. And anyway, you always were my favorite goddess..."  
  
Aphrodite's full lips curved upwards in a smile, then she ran over and hugged the half-wolf. He caught her and hugged her back, all the while trying to pull his head out of her curls tactfully. Joxer really did like the goddess, but the many perfumes she used on herself which most would enjoy were too strong for his nose, and he was getting nauseous. Finally, she let him go.  
  
"Aw, you're so sweet, Joxie! That bard has quite a catch in you, studmuffin...hope she appreciates it..."  
  
"Oh, she does, Aphrodite." Xena assured the goddess with a smile and a bob of her head towards the upstairs, "She does, as I'm sure you know from the little prayers she sends to you every once in a while after her normal worship of Artemis."  
  
"Yes, I do enjoy those..." the goddess said with a smiled, "especially when she gets detailed..."  
  
This comment sent Joxer into a deep blush that brought some amber into his eyes. Then he began to get even redder as a few pleasant memories from the last few months surfaced, and his eyes got a slight glow. Aphrodite giggled.  
  
"Oh, what was that last one?" the goddess asked with a devilish grin on her face, "Little Red Riding Cloak and the Wolf? The Three Little Boars and...or was it-"  
  
"Anyway," Xena interrupted, knowing that if they didn't stop now, they would end up with a lobster-like Joxer, and not a lot done, "About the wedding? And the geas? You'll do it? And then we just have to worry about rounding everyone up?"  
  
"Pretty much, I'm thinking..." Iolaus answered, "And me and Herc will help as much as we can. This wedding..." the short man's voice almost gave out, "this wedding is overdue, and I can't wait to see it all. Not to mention see Egypt!"  
  
##  
  
"Ships loaded, sir..."   
  
"Great!" Joxer cried in joy, looking at the ship that would soon bring him and his betrothed, not to mention a few friends and relatives, to Egypt. And there, he would finally be married to his true love, Gabrielle, "So, as soon as the others are all on board, we can go?"  
  
"Yes sir!" The captain replied, looking at the sea, "The tide'll be right for a while yet, but you'd better get your people together."  
  
"Don't worry," Joxer assured him, "They're all at the tavern enjoying the last bit of land before the trip." Then, Joxer remembered something. "And did you pack-"  
  
"The wolf is in his cage, stowed carefully on one of the lower decks." The sailor answered quickly, "And we have instructed none of the men to approach him, unless they wish to become a wolf as well..."  
  
"Good. Wouldn't want Grandpa to miss this..." Joxer said. Then his eyes turned to the sailor with a grin, "Thank you for your patience, sir..."   
  
"No problem, sir." The other answered, "I've had odder passengers, and they weren't nearly as helpful or as polite."  
  
Joxer took this in with a smile (carefully keeping his fangs hidden), then waved as he made his way toward the tavern.   
  
When he got in, he looked over everyone there, which were mostly the wedding guests. He could see them all from the door. Gabrielle, Xena, Jace, and Aphrodite were sitting at one table, all sipping delicate looking glasses of wine (courtesy of the goddess) and discussing plans for the wedding design, and the wedding dress. Beside them, Autolycus was sitting with Iolaus, both of which were getting excited about the trip. Auto was anxious to see Cleo again, and Iolaus couldn't wait to get to Egypt. Hercules, who was also at the table, just listened to the two of them talk about their hopes with a small grin on his face.  
  
A few tables away, he could see his parents, Xanderus and Jorinda, having a lively discussion with Jett. From the stabbing motions, Joxer had a feeling they were talking shop. Joxer shook his head with a smile. Both of them just out of prison, and they were already trying to start trouble. Well, that was his family. And at least his father wasn't bothering Jace.  
  
He wasn't bothering Joxer either. The old warlord had come to respect his son now that he could defend himself, though he did complain at the lack of blood lust he seemed to have. In Xanderus' mind, Joxer should have been even more dangerous than Jett, but the warlord had come to understand that despite the physical changes, Joxer was still the same loving young man he'd been.   
  
That fact delighted his mother, who had always loved her youngest son's gentle nature, and she was glad that becoming partially a wolf had not changed him. Jorinda, despite being a warlord's wife, was a rather sweet woman, and she had taken to Gabrielle quickly. Xanderus had promised not to kill her. Joxer chuckled as he remembered the day his betrothed and his father had met, and then walked over to the table where most of his family sat.  
  
"Hey, Jox!" Jett said, his head popping up to greet his brother in the middle of the story, "How's things? Ship ready?"  
  
"Yeah, Jett..." his brother answered with a small satisfied grin, "All ready, and Gramps is packed as well..."  
  
"That's good to hear, dear..." Jorinda added, placing her hand lovingly on her son's arm, "It will be nice to have Father there..."  
  
The warlord's wife sighed happily, "At the first of my sons' weddings..."  
  
Joxer watched as his father made a comment under his breath about 'Father', then turn a smile at his wife at the mention of the ceremony.  
  
"Indeed," Xanderus agreed with a grin, "Though I never figured that it would Joxer's! The little whelp is finally going to become a man! Or as much of one as a half-wolf can be..."  
  
Joxer didn't want to respond to that comment (for he knew it was a compliment from his father), so he just did what he had planned to do upon entry to the tavern.  
  
"THE BOATS READY FOLKS! LETS GO!"  
  
##  
  
"I hate boats..."  
  
Joxer turned quickly to face his beloved, who was currently turning a fascinating shade of green that she hadn't assumed for the last week or so.   
  
"Honey?"  
  
"I absolutely, positively, with every PART OF MY SOUL HATE boats!"  
  
The half-wolf sighed, and then walked back over to where she was hanging over the side of the ship. He put his arms around her.  
  
"Don't worry, honey...we're almost there. The captain says that we ought to make Egypt by night..."  
  
As she heard his soft voice, so full of love and concern for her, Gabrielle's mood lightened and her tone softened. "I know...it's just...I feel so sick..."  
  
Joxer looked into her eyes, then ran his fingers over her cheek in a loving caress, all the while running his other hand through her hair. Then, he kissed her gently on the nose.  
  
"I'm sorry you're feeling sick, Gabby..." he said quietly, "If there was something that could be done-"  
  
"-you'd do it..." she finished for him with a small smile. She'd heard that particular line from him for most of the trip, each time making her thank the gods that she had as kind a man for a fiancée as she did. She gave him a quick kiss back. "And Aphrodite can't do anything..."  
  
"Yeah..." Joxer said with a sigh, "For some reason, she won't do it. I mean, she says she can't, but I don't think so. And when she said only Poseidon could do it...I don't think he likes Xena too much, so..."  
  
"So I'll just have to be sick..." the blond bard continued with a tired sigh, "Well, it's okay. I mean, when we get there, we're going to get the most beautiful wedding the world has ever seen. In Egypt..."  
  
"Yeah..." the half-wolf said with a grin, pushing her hair out of her eyes again, "And you will be the most beautiful bride the world has ever known...I'm sure of it."  
  
There was a moment of silence, and then the two of them kissed. Gabrielle no longer felt sick to her stomach in the bad way. Now it was an almost pleasant flipping sensation that she was familiar with, just like their first kiss. It was one thing she loved about Joxer. His love for her (and her love for him) was a bright flame, but not one that burned out. Rather, it was a constant fire within her, which like a flame, remained the same while still being different enough to stay interesting. Joxer, what and who he was, would never be dull to her, just as the variety of smells, tastes, and actions of Gabrielle would never be boring to the half-wolf. The kiss was wonderful...but it could only last so long. They did have to breath.   
  
As the kiss broke, Gabrielle had to once again fight to urge to lose the remainder of her lunch. The journey had been horrible, worse than usual. She was no sailor to begin with, but this voyage was horrible. Every morning, she woke up in the worst state, and she felt as if she was always bloated, despite the fact that she usually puked out everything in her body by noon.   
  
At that moment, Gabrielle lost the fight and flung her head over the edge of the boat. Joxer, his sensitive nose picking up the acid coming up her throat, pulled back her hair and held her as she gave up the remainder of her stomach to the sea.   
  
"Oh yeah..." the bard muttered between heaves, "Poseidon just loves me even more now..."  
  
Joxer, who could of course hear it, just smiled. He was a lucky man. Even puking her guts out, his Gabby had a sense of humor. And she was still the most beautiful creature on the Earth to him. Now, despite the loss of food, she seemed to have a faint glow, and the aroma coming off of her (other than the puke) was amazing. He fought the urge to grab her and bring her to the bedroom they shared.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Gabs..." Joxer whispered to her lovingly, "Just get it all out. I'm sure that Poseidon won't mind...too much. I mean, he's kinda causing it..."  
  
This set the bard into a fit of giggles, and the two of them sat down on one of the spare dinghies. Just to get out the tension, the two laughed for a good minute or so, then quieted.   
  
"I love you..." Joxer announced.  
  
"I love you too..." Gabrielle said back.  
  
"Even if you smell like yesterday's fish..."  
  
"And even if you're a puppy..."  
  
This set the two of them into another fit of giggles.  
  
"I love you, Gabby..."  
  
"You too, Joxer..."  
  
And then Gabrielle made her way into his lap, where they snuggled until Gabrielle had to puke again...   
  
##  
  
Autolycus was bored. They'd been on the trip for the last month or so, and he'd had nothing to do but dream of Cleopatra and talk to the wedding guests, and while the dreams of Cleo hadn't been that bad, the talk had gotten progressively worse throughout the trip. Well, the thief thought, you can only discuss the last month's news so many times, and the weather was rather boring after you got past the "there's a lot of water here" part of the discussion. So, Auto had decided to check out the cargo hold...  
  
He didn't intend to steal anything; he wasn't stupid. You don't steal things when you can't get away afterwards. That sort of thing could end in conversations with sharks on a ship. And besides, Joxer was his friend. Sort of. Besides, Auto was quite aware that the half-wolf would NOT be happy should anything be stolen, and he'd heard from Hercules already about the dangers of upsetting the dark-haired young man.  
  
He was just going to see what was down there. What sort of wedding gifts the others had brought, and check out any interesting items. And anyway, at least no one would be there, so he didn't have to risk another "weather" (or should he see Jett, "murder") conversation. That's why the King of Thieves was surprised when he heard a voice in the hold.   
  
Carefully, so as not to alarm whoever was down there, Auto moved closer to the cargo hold door, inching quietly towards the slightly open (he realized then) door. Then he cupped his ear to make out the voice. He quickly figured out who it was, but he couldn't' figure out who he was talking to. Or what in Tartarus he was talking about...  
  
"As I was saying, Gramps..."  
  
Gramps? The thief wondered. Who on Earth was Joxer talking to? He didn't remember an old man coming on the boat. But they couldn't be keeping an elderly person in the cargo hold, could they? He listened again.  
  
"Anyway, Gramps...I don't know what to do about Gabby...I mean, she's really happy about the wedding and everything, but she keeps on getting sick to her stomach every morning, not to-"  
  
Auto heard a bark. What the Hades was a dog doing there?  
  
"What do you mean, 'use my nose, boy'?" Joxer asked, sounding rather annoyed.  
  
Another bark, followed by a small yip and a snort.  
  
"Well, I haven't had this sense of smell as long as you have, Gramps...I haven't catalogued all the smells, okay?"  
  
A snort.  
  
"So what are you trying to tell me, Gramps? That Gabrielle's-"  
  
A rather positive bark, followed by something Auto thought sounded like a purr.  
  
"Really! I thought so!" the half-wolf nearly howled, "I'm so happy! I can't wait to tell Xena! She'll be so happy for us! And Aphrodi-"  
  
There was a pause, then a small snort.  
  
"Yeah, I figured she knew. That was probably why she kept on saying she couldn't cure it..."  
  
A bark, followed by two yips.  
  
"Yes, Gramps...you are going to be a great grandfather..."  
  
Auto jumped up in shock. The entire conversation had confused him (though he wasn't really sure it was a conversation, since he didn't know if the animal noises counted as speech) but this part certainly made sense. Joxer and Gabby were having a baby. Joxer was having a baby. Gabrielle was pregnant. They were going to have kids.   
  
The sentences slammed through the thief's mind, then another one slipped in, which the nicer part of him tried to kick away.  
  
Or would you call them cubs?  
  
Auto probably would have spent more time being shocked if he hadn't heard the racket from inside, and the nearly growled question of "who's there?"  
  
Now, Autolycus wasn't a dumb man. He knew that Joxer could probably smell him now that he was frightened out of his wits, and he also knew that it wasn't a crime to eavesdrop. Just terribly impolite. So Auto made his way into the room. Joxer, who had gotten his claws on and had a rather frightening face on, immediately calmed.  
  
"Oh, it's just you, Auto..." the half-wolf said with relief, "Sorry about that...thought you might be someone...bad or something..."  
  
The King of Thieves smiled at the younger man's awkwardness. Partially wolf, with unique powers, and the kid was still the same slightly nervous, sweet-hearted guy he'd known in Marimus. That made Auto feel good inside for some strange reason.  
  
"Nope..." Auto said smoothly, "Just me. You're friendly neighborhood King of Thieves here..."  
  
"Hey...why are you here?"  
  
Auto smiled nervously. Good question. "I was just here to check on my wedding present for you two...wouldn't want it to break, you know..."  
  
Joxer smiled back, pulling off his claws finally. The thief breathed out with relief. He knew the half-wolf would never hurt him but...  
  
"Okay." the dark-haired young man said, "So how long were you here?"  
  
"Just a couple of minutes..." Auto answered, "Say, who were you talking to?"  
  
"So you heard that..." Joxer said with an embarrassed grin, "How much did you hear?"  
  
"Well, I found out that you're going to be a father, if that's what you mean..." Autolycus answered with a happy smile. He was genuinely glad for his friend. The young man deserved happiness after all he'd been through in life (and in his love life). Not to mention his parents. Auto had met them, and...oh boy...he'd truly felt sympathy for Joxer after that.  
  
The half-wolf's face lit up with a grin. "Yeah, isn't that great? Gabby's gonna have a baby! Gramps told me-"  
  
"That reminds me, who is Gramps?"  
  
Joxer's face went blank, and then he gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Oh, Gramps is right here...come over and see..."  
  
The King of Thieves was rather worried, but he knew that Joxer wouldn't do anything bad to him. So, moving carefully, and making sure he had a place to run, Autolycus stepped over to where the young man was.  
  
It was a wolf. A large gray wolf, sitting inside of a rather large cage, staring at him with eyes that were far too intelligent for Autolycus' piece of mind.   
  
"This" the half-wolf said with something close to pride that had just a tinge of annoyance, "is Gramps. My grandfather...King Lycaon of Arcadia. Now, Silverfang the wolf..."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"He made me what I am kinda."  
  
"Oh."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"He's freaking you out, isn't he?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"We can go."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay then..." Joxer said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. The half-wolf nodded to his grandfather, then made a small growling noise in the back of his throat. The wolf responded in kind, and then Joxer pulled the thief back to the door. There was silence, and then Joxer asked.  
  
"You won't say anything about the baby to anyone, will you?" he asked, with just the smallest hint of something unpleasant. The rest of it was nerves.   
  
Auto understood. "Not a word."  
  
The young man smiled. "Okay then...can you help me think up a name?"  
  
The thief smiled, and then the two made their way out of the room.  



End file.
